Caught
by ImperialEvolution
Summary: She felt like an insignificant piece of prey, trapped in a tangle of brambles. His amber eyes glowing in the half-light of her minds eye. She wanted nothing more than to run to his side, to stay there. But she couldn't.


_**A Warriors FanFiction.**_

 _ **Caught.**_

 _A/N:_

 _I was reading_ 'Starlight' _, and I ranted so hard, I swear my brother is planning on sending to a mental asylum. But I'm not mad. Much. Hehehehehehe! No, seriously, WHAT THE HECK WERE THEY THINKING, BRAMBLEXSQUIRREL IS SOO GOOD! Anyway, this will be very short in comparison to my usual works,but I'm trying to get the emotions and the temperature of the arguments right, rather than length. Tell me if I've achieved it by a review, please._

 _Disclaimer:_

 _I don't own Warriors. Yay, boring disclaimers._

Brambleclaw. Her worst friend, best enemy, loyalest rival, and bitterest ally. All she wanted was to lead him away. Lie with him under the stars, talking in the moonlight. She wanted him so bad. To sleep beside him, to walk beside him, to stand beside him. Brambleclaw, her worst friend. Her one love.

Oh, yes. There were times when she wanted to claw him, rake her claws down his sides and bite him until he bled. They used to be friends, used to stand up for each other no matter the cost.

But no more. Sometimes she felt like giving up. She felt like curling up in a ball and never waking up. She felt like an insignificant piece of prey, trapped in a tangle of brambles. His amber eyes glowed in the dark, half-light of her mind's eye. She wanted nothing more than to run to his side, to stay there. But she couldn't. The brambles hadn't landed her here. Her pride had. But she still loved him. Too much.

And that was one thing she'd never be able to escape.

Squirrelflight paced the forest, kneading the leaves with her claws. She scented the air, catching the scent of a rabbit. And Brambleclaw.

 _'Fox-dung! Had to find me here!'_

The thick, brown tabby pelt slunk out in front of her, cold amber eyes fixed her with an annoyed gaze. "I told you to fetch moss for the Elders!" He growled.

She was so sick of this pathetic excuse of a cat constantly nagging her, treating her like a stupid apprentice.

"Get it yourself if you think I'm so incompetent!" She meowed.

"I never said you were incompetent, but I expect you to follow my orders! Any cat with a brain could do that!" Failing to keep his impatience under wraps.

"You're not deputy, why should I follow _you_? You bring nothing but trouble!"

"At least I'm loyal!"

"Are you saying I'm not?" Her voice rising.

"I serve _all_ my Clanmates," he stressed that she hadn't got the Elders moss.

"Fresh-kill will sustain them more! And besides, the fresh-kill pile is low."

"Don't argue with me!"

"Why? You're evil! You'll never be deputy! You didn't do anything when Stormfur left! Willing to turn in your friends, just like Tigerstar!" She hurled accusation after accusation at him, waiting for the right one. Fury and pain blazed like fires in Brambleclaw's eyes. She'd found it.

"I am nothing like my father! Tigerstar was a murderer and a traitor! I would never turn on our Clan like he did!" Brambleclaw thundered.

She recoiled, flinching away from the roar in his voice, the flames in his eyes and the glint in his claws.

"You are your father's son as I am Firestar's daughter! You are just like him!" She yowled back, her anger blinding her.

"I you think I'm untrustworthy because I am my father's kin?" He howled. "I can't believe we were once best friends," he statement was sharp and scornful, full of disbelief that he'd seen anything in the dark ginger she-cat.

"We were friends until you talked to _him_!" She hissed loudly, thinking of Hawkfrost.

Brambleclaw's yowling dropped to a low hiss. "Leave him out of this!" His eyes glittered as he spoke, showing her that he knew exactly what she was talking about. Maybe he wasn't entirely lost. They were still on the same side, both knowing each other enough to almost read one another's mind.

"He's evil! Everyone can see it!" She dropped her own voice to the point where it was barely audible.

"By _'everyone'_ you mean your sister, the Medicine Cat who can't stick to the Medicine Cat code, let alone the Warrior's!"

The snide retort stung her, as if he'd raked his claws down her sides. "I'm sick of you bossing me around like I'm a insignificant kit! You aren't my friend, you aren't my mate, you aren't my father, you aren't my mentor, you'll never be my deputy, and you are never, _ever_ , going to be my leader!" She snarled. "I hate you! And to think I ever, for a second, thought of you as _more_ than a friend!"

She stalked away, her pelt bristling violently. She was aware of a hunting patrol made up of Ashfur, Brackenfur and Whitepaw, staring with wide eyes. She shrugged them off, not caring what they thought. Brambleclaw was so full of himself, like it was StarClan's gift to the lake. He wasn't.

Squirrelflight trudged back to camp, tail dragging in the dust. She might as well fetch the Elders that moss, no-cat else was going to. Leafpool padded across the clearing, heading to the Medicine Den.

"Leafpool, I'm going to get the Elders some moss, do you need anything?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, nothing that you can get me," she meowed, clearly needing to be alone.

"Well, if you need me, give me a shout," she meowed, turning on her heels. She was worried about Leafpool. She seemed to be distant. But Squirrelflight had other things on her mind. She wandered around the forest, searching half-heartedly for moss, focusing more on her thoughts than her duty. Brambleclaw. He was so... Full of himself? Dreamy? Handsome? Mouse-brained? Like his father? Traitorous? Evil? He was many things, but she knew, in her heart of hearts, he wouldn't turn on his Clan. He wasn't evil or traitorous or like his father. But she wasn't even sure who he was anymore. Was he jealous of Ashfur? If so, was it for his apprentice or her? She wasn't sure, and how could she be? The Brambleclaw she knew was as good as dead.

The brambles hadn't landed her here. Her pride had.

And he wouldn't let her forget it.


End file.
